Introduction
We have a statutory duty to ensure formal childcare is available for working families, parents / carers who are studying or training, and disabled children up to the age of 18 years. The local authority must also secure free early years provision for eligible children aged 9 months to 4 year olds. North Tyneside’s Childcare Sufficiency Statement considers whether sufficient childcare is available to meet the needs of families who live and work in the borough.
The 2023 Spring Budget announced a significant expansion of the free early education entitlements offer. From September 2025, all eligible working parents of children aged nine months and over will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week up until their child starts school. The expansion has been phased, with eligible 2 year olds of working families receiving 15 funded hours from April 2024, and eligible children of working families aged 9+ months, receiving 15 hours from September 2024.
The sufficiency statement considers whether North Tyneside’s childcare network can provide the places required by families. Wider socioeconomic determinants of childcare demand are considered, alongside factors that shape the childcare decisions of families, such as quality, choice and accessibility. North Tyneside’s childcare sector faces challenges such as recruitment of qualified staff and rising costs, as it prepares for the next phase of the planned expansion of childcare entitlements. The local authority will continue to work with families and providers to meet the childcare needs and preferences of North Tyneside’s residents now and in the future.